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- In 2018, new research debunked longstanding health myths related to diet, exercise, and more.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new guidelines on the sale of e-cigarettes to young people and research revealed the benefits of blue light-blocking glasses may be over-hyped.
- Researchers also found that life expectancy in the United States has actually dropped for the second year in a row due to an increase in suicides and overdoses, while life expectancy in other parts of the world continues to increase.
Every year, new research helps us better understand diet, exercise, disease, and other aspects of our health.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for example, released the first-ever update of its physical activity guidelines, which were first created a decade ago. Research also found American life expectancy has dropped for a second year in a row, down to 78.6 years old, while life expectancy in many other places around the world is still increasing.
Here are some of the top health myths that were debunked in 2018.
Myth: The ketogenic diet helps with long-term weight loss.
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Every year, a new diet fad seems to take America by storm, with followers lauding it as the best way to lose weight. In 2018, that diet was the ketogenic diet, commonly known as the keto diet.
The diet asks adherents to mainly eat high-fat foods while nixing sugar and carbohydrates in an effort to reach ketosis, or a state where the body burns fat for energy, according to Harvard Medical School.
Keto fans claim the diet helps them lose weight and feel more energized, but research has yet to conclusively prove the diet is a safe and healthy way to lose weight over a long period of time.
In fact, US News & World Report ranked the ketogenic diet the worst diet to try this year, noting it helps with short-term weight loss but isn't healthy or sustainable over time.
According to Harvard Medical School, the ketogenic diet becomes especially concerning when participants don't consume enough fruits and vegetables and instead focus on protein sources like meat and other processed foods.
While this diet is helpful for treating people with conditions like seizures or diabetes, it's important to consult your healthcare provider before trying it.
Read more: 10 ways people ruined nature in 2018
Myth: You have to work out in 30-minute intervals to see results.
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In 2018, the US government released its latest iteration of physical fitness guidelines, which contained great news for busy folks: overall frequency of exercise is more important than the amount of time you spend exercising in one sitting.
Before the updated guidelines came out, the government suggested exercise must be done in 10-minute intervals to be considered helpful for health. Now, however, "bouts of a prescribed duration are not essential," according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
This means you don't have to get in that widely cited 30 minutes of exercise in a row. Instead, you can spread your physical activity throughout the day, like getting up from a desk as much as possible, HHS said.
As a basic rule of thumb, the guidelines suggested adults get between two and a half and five hours of moderate physical activity weekly from activities like walking or raking leaves.
Myth: Gluten is bad for you.
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Over the years, fad diet followers have denounced carbs, often calling out gluten specifically as a bad-for-you component in food. But research has debunked the idea that no one should eat gluten.
There are some people who really shouldn't gluten — namely those with celiac disease, an autoimmune condition that can lead to intestinal damage and poor absorption of nutrients into the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A 2018 study in Nature Communications found that for those who were on gluten-free diets but didn't have to be, decreased gluten intake didn't make them feel better. Rather, people who eat less glutinous foods typically eat more fiber, which helps decrease bloating and build a healthier gut.
What's more, a 2017 study in The BMJ found that people who didn't eat gluten despite not having celiac disease had an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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